Isack Hadjar 'decision date set' as Max Verstappen to learn next Red Bull team-mate
Isack Hadjar is hunting for a promotion after a stellar rookie season.
Red Bull will reportedly make a decision about their 2026 driver line-up after the Mexican Grand Prix, meaning Max Verstappen has just two race weekends to wait to discover the identity of his next team-mate.
Red Bull have used three different drivers over the past 12 months, with Sergio Perez closing out the 2024 campaign with a miserable run of form, Liam Lawson taking over the baton for the first two races of 2025, and Yuki Tsunoda replacing the New Zealander from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards.
Now, a new name is leading the race to become Verstappen’s team-mate in 2026. Isack Hadjar has enjoyed a stellar rookie season, scoring a podium in Zandvoort and registering eight top-10 finishes on the year. These performances have seen the French-Algerian heavily linked with a winter promotion from Racing Bulls to Red Bull.
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According to Autosport, Red Bull haven’t yet made a decision about their driver line-ups for 2026, but will do so after the Mexican GP, which follows next weekend’s outing at the Circuit of the Americas. Hadjar is in pole position to clinch the seat alongside Verstappen.
“I mean, yes, but at the same time, you don’t want to [hide]… Sure, it would be a bit scary, but I look for that,” Hadjar told The Telegraph in Singapore. “It’s what I always wanted to do as a kid. It was never to just drive F1 cars, it’s to compete against the best in the world. It’s what I’m here for. What’s the best ever like? Because he [Verstappen] is the benchmark.
“I also feel like timing-wise, it’s interesting that there are new regulations coming next season. Everyone starts from zero again. So if it happens, it could also be very good. But honestly, either way, I’m still young. I believe whatever God decides is the right thing.”
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Hadjar isn’t the only name in contention, though. Incumbent driver Tsunoda has endured a miserable run of form since replacing Lawson in F1’s hot seat, scoring points just five times for Red Bull, but Helmut Marko and Laurent Mekies are well aware of the Japanese racer’s talent.
Then there is Lawson, whose prospects for 2026 remain unclear. The New Zealander has scored points in four of the last eight races, but Hadjar’s podium in Zandvoort set the tone for Racing Bulls' season, and the 21-year-old is now in a difficult position, stuck between fighting for a promotion and retaining his seat.
Putting pressure on Lawson and Tsunoda are Formula Two prodigies Arvid Lindblad and Alex Dunne. The former is a long-term project for Marko, while the latter impressed with his raw speed and aggression in his rookie year, and departed McLaren’s junior team before holding talks with Red Bull.
